Apres Nous, le Deluge
by Courier999
Summary: When Mystery Inc. takes on what seems like a simple job for a merchant consortium (investigating their missing shipments in New Orleans), they find that the job is anything but. Now, they must navigate the byzantine web of the city's politics as they find themselves caught in the confluence of conspiracies. Prequel to "Mystery Never Changes". Rated T for violence and language. R&R!


SCOOBY APOCALYPSE: Après Nous, le Déluge

_Scooby-Doo_, DC Comics, and all related characters are property of Warner Bros. This is set in the same Elseworld as "Mystery Never Changes", and can be considered something of a prequel to that fic.

Chapter 1: Meet Me In St. Louis

The old Gateway Arch loomed above the riverfront like some long-forgotten sentinel, standing proud and silent as passing barges and riverboats plied their trade, traveling up and down the Mississippi from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. While most of the traffic these days was freight, there were still passenger vessels that regularly made their way up and down the river.

* * *

"So, you four and your dog want to book passage to New Orleans on the _Duchess Gambit_, is that what I'm hearing?"

"That's correct, Captain." a petite bespectacled brunette replied.

"And you want to take that van of yours with you, correct?"

"I believe that's what we said." a nearby redhead in a purple ensemble added.

The captain let out a snort.

"Lucky you that we're the pusher for one of those ro-ro barges this trip. 'course, it'll cost you extra."

The redhead reached into her hip pouch and handed over a wad of dollar bills, a few travel bottles of bourbon, and some poker chips.

"Will this cover our fare?" she asked.

"You going round-trip or one-way?"

"One-way."

"Well, this should cover you four and your dog. Your vehicle, on the other hand…"

"You do realize that you're talking with Mystery Inc, right?"

"…really? In that case, I think I can give you all a discount."

"Well, th-"

" In return, I'm going to ask you people to do me a favor."

"Like, what sort of favor?"

"See, I used to have a more permanent onboard security detail, but they decided to sign up with another captain somewhere around Cairo. So until we reach the Crescent City, you guys and your dog're gonna serve as the guards on this vessel. Understand?"

"No argument from me." a blond-haired man with an orange bandana replied.

"Good. And since I'm in a generous mood, you all get a cabin instead of sleeping on the main deck."

* * *

Prior to the war, the _Duchess Gambit_ had been a tourist vessel, a modern iteration of the old sternwheeler steamboats that had plied the Mississippi watershed back in the 19th century. Following the bombs, however, she had since taken on the role of her ancestors, carrying both passengers and cargo up and down the Great Muddy and some of its larger tributaries (namely the Missouri and Ohio) on a more-or-less regular schedule.

* * *

From her spot on the bow, Daphne felt a slight nip in the air as the _Duchess Gambit_ made her way southwards. The gang had drawn straws for first night watch, and she'd drawn the short one. Her eyes flitted back and forth as she scanned the ongoing expanse of river, looking for any telltale signs of the Mississippi's less desirable denizens lurking in the dark. As she stood there, rifle in hand, her mind drifted back to the pitch that had sent them on this latest sojurn…

* * *

_Janeway's Tavern, Dubuque riverfont- a few days earlier_

"_I take it you're the famous Mystery Incorporated?_"_ a man in a grimy gray suit asked._

"_Yes, that would be us. Who's asking?_"_ Velma replied._

"_My name's Horrigan, and I'm with an outfit down south called the Blue Water Consortium. We're trying to expand our reach northward, but we've run into a bit of a snag._"

"_Define 'snag'._"

"_We've had issues with missing shipments going in and out of New Orleans. Normally, we'd have our own people deal with this, but considering the rather…byzantine nature of the local politics there, combined with the fact that our own people are about as subtle as a brick through a window, keeping it in-house would probably be more trouble than it's worth._"

"_Sounds fishy if you ask me, gang._" _Fred piped up._

"_Trust me when I say that Blue Water can and will make it worth your while._"

"_Try us._"_ Daphne replied._

"_A few hundred to a couple grand in dead presidents instead of trade goods. Yeah, I know those things're kinda worthless past Dallas, but it's still nothing to sneeze at._"

"_Deal._" _Fred said._

"_Good to hear. Hope to see you in the Crescent City real soon._"

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

No, this doesn't mean that "Mystery Never Changes" is dead (and as for "Shipping Up to Gotham", Chapter 5 of that fic should be up either later this month or in early October). Also, this probably the first _Scooby-Doo_ fic that I've written without the Grimwood Girls being involved.

As for the name of the tavern in the flashback, it is indeed named after Captain Janeway from _Voyager_, with the in-joke being that Dubuque, Iowa is the hometown of Kate Mulgrew, the actress who played Janeway.

Regarding the title, it's an expression attributed to King Louis XV of France or his lover Madame de Pompadour (yes, she was the namesake of the pompadour hairstyle), and means "After us, the flood." As for what the expression means, there are apparently two different interpretations- the first being an expression of indifference to events that follow one's death, while the other interpretation indicates one's own importance in maintaining order.

Continuing with the educational portion of this particular chapter's author's notes, the mention of Cairo here refers to a city in Illinois that is a) the southernmost city in that state, and b) is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. And while I'm at it, the "ro-ro barge" that the steamboat captain mentions is a real thing. Short for "roll-on/roll-off", it refers to ships (namely ferries, cargo ships, and barges) designed to carry wheeled cargo that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels.

And finally, if you're wondering when the DC stuff is going to show up, it'll be once the Mystery Inc. crew reaches New Orleans.


End file.
